Photo by 10Best
Do you know what gives the ocean its blue tint?
It’s commonly believed that the ocean is blue because it’s reflecting the blue sky. That is a misconception, however.
The ocean is blue because of the way it absorbs sunlight, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Just how blue the water is depends on how much of it is available to absorb the light. For instance, water in a glass is clear — there aren’t enough water molecules to really absorb the light.
But ocean water appears bluer the farther you travel down the water column. The water molecules absorb infrared, red and ultraviolet light first, and then yellow, green and violet.
Blue light is absorbed the least, giving it the greatest ocean penetration depth!
